Kingston® has HyperX memory in frequencies ranging from 1600MHz to 2666MHz, in various kits of two and four. The complete list of HyperX XMP-validated memory can be found here. More information on Kingston’s offerings for this new platform can be found here. HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.

Kingston is celebrating 25 years in the memory industry. The company was founded on October 17, 1987, and has grown to become the largest third-party memory manufacturer in the world. The 25th anniversary video can be found here along with more information, including a timeline of Kingston's history. In addition, HyperX memory is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The first HyperX high-performance memory module was released in November 2002.

PC Perspective motherboard reviewer Morry Teitelman posted a review of Corsair's latest Vengeance Pro DDR3 modules yesterday, and the memory did well enough in his testing to earn a PC Perspective Editor's Choice award. The 16GB DDR3-1866MHz Vengeance Pro DIMMS he reviewed are available now for $144. 8GB Vengeance Pro 1866MHz kits are around $80, and 32GB DDR3-1866 memory kits are $295. There are also other SKUs with even higher clockspeeds for bit more money. On the other hand, going with the 1600MHz kits that are available will save you about $20 versus 1866MHz if you will be using these in a systerm where you don't plan to overclock much (if at all).

In addition to the blue, red, and silver colored Vengeance Pro kits mentioned in our review, Corsair is also making an additional gold colored SKU available. Note that the underlying memory hardware is not changing, just the aesthetics. The gold version was just added into the mix today, so while current reviews may not note a black and gold module option, one is coming.

The new black and gold Vengeance Pro DDR3 DIMMs.

Therefore, if you were waiting for the Vengeance Pro to go on sale, but wishing that it better matched your gold-laden ECS or ASUS Gryphon motherboard, it might be worth holding off until the gold SKU hits the market (which should be very soon).

Also in Corsair news, the company teased an 8GB Vengeance Pro DDR3 memory kit clocked at an impressive 3200MHz (CAS11, 11-14-14-36 timings) at Computex for Haswell-based machines, but it is unclear exactly when this particular 2x4GB kit will be available.

Introduction and Technical Specifications

Introduction

Courtesy of Corsair

Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3 memory is the latest edition to their award winning Vengeance line of memory. Corsair re-engineered the included heat sinks for better performance and even designed in the ability to customize the module color via a removable aluminum clip along the top of the modules.

Courtesy of Corsair

Courtesy of Corsair

The Vengeance Pro modules come in three different color schemes - black and red, black and blue, and black and silver. The modules themselves are optimized for use with the 4th generation Intel® Core™ “Haswell” platform and include support for the latest version of Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profile), XMP 1.3. The modules themselves are available at rated speed grades from 1600MHz to 2933MHz, in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB configurations.

G.Skill is a company known for its DDR3 memory products and overclocking contests. It recently unveiled a new 32GB DDR3 RAM kit under its TridentX series that is clocked at an impressive 3,000 MHz!

The new G.Skill DDR3 3000MHz 32GB (4 x 8GB) memory kit is aimed at enthusiasts running Intel Haswell processors on Z87 motherboards. It features CAS12 latencies and can be run at 1.65V. It also supports Intel's XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) standard, which will allow the motherboard to automatically configure the RAM for the full 3000 MHz clockspeed, though it requires a slight CPU overclock as well.

In G.Skill's own benchmark tests, the company managed to run its new 32GB TridentX memory at 3,000 MHz with CAS latencies of 12-14-14-35-CR2 at 1.65V. The Memtest Pro benchmark run was done on a system with an Intel Core i7-4770K and an ASUS Maximus VI Extreme Z87 motherboard. The Intel chip was running with a bus speed of 102.32 MHz and a multiplier of 39 for a total 3.99 GHz core clockspeed with all cores under load. Considering the i7-4770K is only rated for a maximum of DDR3-1600 memory, seeing it running DDR3 at 3GHz is impressive!

The new 32GB (4x8GB) TridentX kit is joined by 8GB (2x4GB) and 16GB (4x8GB) kits that are all rated for DDR3-3000 speeds. The kits continue to be covered by G.Skill's lifetime warranty. The company has not announced pricing or availability, but expect to pay a hefty premium for this super-fast RAM. Think upwards of $1,750 considering the existing 32GB DDR3-2933 C12 G.Skill kit is going for $1,700 on Newegg.

AMD makes memory! Ok, they likely contract out memory. Then they brand it! Then they throw in some software to make RAMDisks out of all that memory that you are not using. Let us face it; AMD is not particularly doing anything new here with memory. It is very much a commodity market that is completely saturated with quality parts from multiple manufacturers.

So why is AMD doing it? Well, I guess part of it is simply brand recognition and potentially another source of income to help pad the bottom line. They will not sell these parts for a loss, and they will have buyers with the diehard AMD fans. Tim covered the previous release of AMD memory pretty well, and he looked at the performance results of the free RAMDisk software that AMD bundled with the DIMMs. It does exactly what it is supposed to, but of course it takes portions of memory away. When dealing with upwards of 16 GB of memory for a desktop computer, sacrificing half of that is really not that big a deal unless heavy duty image and video editing are required.

*Tombraider not included with Radeon Memory. Radeon RAMDisk instead!

Today AMD is announcing a new memory product and a new bundled version of the RAMDisk software. The top end SKU is now the AMD Radeon RG2133 DDR-3 modules. It comes in a package of up to 4 x 4GB DIMMS and carries a CAS latency of 10 with the voltage at a reasonable 1.65v. These modules are programmed with both the Intel based XMP and the AMD based AMP (MP stands for Memory Profiles… if that wasn’t entirely obvious). The modules themselves are reasonable in terms of size (they will fit in any board, even with larger heatsinks on the CPU). AMD claims that they are all high quality parts, which again is not entirely surprising since I do not know of anyone who advertises that their DIMMS feature only the most mediocre memory modules available.

Faster memory is faster, water is wet, and Ken still needs a girlfriend.

AMD goes on to claim that faster memory does improve overall system performance. Furthermore AMD has revealed that UV light is in fact a cancer causing agent, Cocoa Puffs will turn any milk brown, and passing gas in church will rarely be commented upon (unless it is truly rank or you start calling yourself “Legion”). Many graphs were presented that essentially showed an overclocked APU with this memory will outperform a non-overclocked APU with DDR-3 1600 units. Truly eye opening, to say the least.

How much RAMDisk can any one man take? AMD wants to know!

The one big piece of the pie that we have yet to talk about is the enhanced version of Radeon RAMDisk (is Farva naming these things?). This particular version can carve out up to 64 GB of memory for a RAMDisk! I can tell you this now, me and my 8 GB of installed memory will get a LOT of mileage out of this one! I can only imagine the product meeting. “Hey, I’ve got a great idea! We can give them up to 64 GB of RAMDisk!” While another person replies, “How do you propose getting people above 64 GB, much less 32 GB of memory on a consumer level product…?” After much hand wringing and mumbling someone comes up with, “I know! They can span it across two motherboards! That way they have to buy an extra motherboard AND a CPU! Think of our attach rate!” And there was much rejoicing.

Inconceivable!!!

So yes, more memory that goes faster is better. Radeon RAMDisk is not just a comic superhero, it can improve overall system performance. Combine the two and we have AMD Radeon Memory RG2133 with 64 GB of RAMDisk. Considering that the top SKU will feature 4 x 4GB DIMMS, a user only needs to buy four kits and four motherboards and processors to get a 64GB RAMDisk. Better throw in another CPU and motherboard so a user can at least have 16GB of memory available as, you know, memory.

Update and Clarification

Perhaps my tone was a bit too sarcastic, but I just am not seeing the value here. Apparently (and I was not given this info before hand) the 4 x 4 GB kits with the 64 GB RAMDisk will retail at $155. Taking a quick look at Newegg I see that a user can buy quite a few different 2 x 8 GB 2133 kits anywhere from $139 to $145 with similar or better latencies/voltages. Around $155 users will get better latencies and voltages down to 1.5v. For 4 x 4GB kits we again see prices start at the $139 mark, but there are a significant number of other kits with again better voltages and latencies from $144 through $155.

Users can also get the free version of the Radeon RAMDisk that will utilize up to 4GB of space. There are multiple other software kits for not a whole lot of money (less than $10) that will provide you up to 16 GB of RAMDisk. I just find the whole kit to be comparable to what is currently out there. Offering a 64 GB RAMDisk for use with 16 GB of total system memory just seems to be really silly. The only way that could possibly be interesting would be if you could allocate 8 GB of that onto RAM and the other 56 GB onto a fast SSD. I do not believe that to be the case with this software, but I would love to be proved wrong.

At a speed of DDR3-2400 timings of 11-13-13-30 @ 2T are more than impressive and hint at the overclocking potential of these DIMMs. They also come with two XPM settings, the one just mentioned which runs at 1.65V and a 2133 MHz mode which runs at 1.6V and similar timings. Once TechPowerUp got their hands on the DIMMs they managed to hit 2634 MHz and tighten up the Command Rate to 1T. Keep in mind those pretty heatspreaders may make your life difficult if your motherboard is crowded around the socket and your heatsink doesn't have much clearance. That exact kit does not appear at NewEgg but a very similar 16GB kit does.

"A rabid animal hungry for food, the Kingston HyperX Beast stampedes into the overclocking scene, ripping through our benchmarks like no other. Clocked in at 2400 MHz out of the box, these beasts are ready to take on whatever you want to feed them."

Corsair is taking Xtreme Memory Profiles to the next level with an extremely limited release of DDR3-3000 2x4GB kits, for the low, low price of $750. They list two motherboard with BIOSes capable of hitting that speed and perhaps higher for those willing to move to exotic cooling solutions using the included cooler. The 1.65V is high but not insane, possibly due to the timings of 12-14-14-36 but you will probably need to up the power if you are intending on pushing these DIMMs past 3GHz. You can try to pick them up directly from Corsair.

FREMONT, California — March 14, 2013 — Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced new Vengeance Extreme 8GB dual-channel DDR3 memory kits rated at 3000MHz, the world's fastest rated production PC memory kits. Fitted with low profile "racing red" heat spreaders, the new 2x4GB memory kits operate at 3000MHz air-cooled, with latency settings of 12-14-14-36, at 1.65V. A Kingpin Cooling memory cooler is included for overclockers who want to use LN2 (liquid nitrogen) to reach memory speeds well beyond 3000MHz.

The extreme-speed 3000MHz rating of the Vengeance Extreme memory kits is the result of a rigorous internal four-stage hand-screening process performed by Corsair engineers. This process is passed by fewer than one in 50 memory ICs. Performance qualification is performed on select Intel Z77 based motherboards, including the ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE and ASRock Z77 OC Formula. To hit their rated speeds, the modules require a 3rd Generation Intel Core unlocked processor with an Integrated Memory Controller capable of running 3000MHz.

“We are focused on helping enthusiasts and overclockers push the boundaries of PC performance," said Thi La, Senior VP and GM of Memory and Enthusiast Component Products at Corsair. “Our engineering team's hard work has led to new performance optimization techniques for memory, which we are pleased to debut in our new Vengeance Extreme memory."

Pricing and Availability
The Vengeance Extreme 3000MHz 8GB memory kits are priced at $749.99 USD and will be available exclusively from Corsair.com in March. Quantities of these hand-built modules will be extremely limited.

Kingston has put together a 16GB, 4DIMM quad (or dual) channel DDR-2400 kit with timings of 11-13-13-30 available for $160. They've designed compact heat spreaders for this kit so even with the tight confines of the CPU socket which have become common today you should be able to fit these in your system without much difficulty. From TechPowerUp's testing these DIMMs seem to be running all out at stock speeds, even upping the voltage only allowed them a stable 2468MHz perhaps not a problem on boards which cannot break 2400MHz in the BIOS. They do mention that the Anniversary Special Editions have limited availability so if their review tempts you, purchase this kit as soon as you can.

"To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the HyperX brand, Kinston has released a limited edition line up called the HyperX Genesis 10th Anniversary Special Edition. We take a look at the top-end 16 GB 2400 MHz CL11 kit, a blazing fast kit with performance to match."

So a RAM chip, a NAND module, and an “ultracapacitor” walk into stick...

This week Micron released a press blast for technology called, “NVDIMM”. The goal is to create memory modules which perform as quickly as DRAM but can persist without power. At this point you could probably guess the acronym: Nonvolatile Dual In-line Memory Module. It has been around for a few years now, but it is in the news now so let's chat about it.

I often like to play the game, “Was this named by an engineer or a marketer?” You can typically tell who was responsible for naming something by gauging how literally it breaks down into a simple meaning versus not having any apparent meaning at all. A good example of an engineer name is UHF, which breaks down into ultra-high frequency because it's higher than VHF, very-high frequency. A good example of a marketing name would be something like “Centrino”, which sounds like the biggest little penny-slot machine in the world. I would quite comfortable guessing that NVDIMM was named by an engineer.

This is AgigA Tech's module, who provides the capacitors for Micron and their NVDIMMs.

The actual makeup of NVDIMMs is quite sensible: DIMMs are fast but die when the power goes out. You could prevent the power from going out but it takes quite a lot of battery life to keep a computer online for extended periods of time. NAND Flash is quite slow, relative to DIMMs, in normal operation but can persist without power for very long periods of time. Also, modern-day capacitors are efficient and durable enough to keep DIMMs powered for long enough to be copied to flash memory.

As such, if the power goes out: memory is dumped to flash on the same chip. When power is restored, DIMMs get reloaded and continue on their merry way.

According to the Micron press release, the first NVDIMM was demonstrated last November at SC12. That module contained twice as much NAND as it did DIMM memory: 8GB of Flash for 4GB of RAM. Micron did not specify why they required having that much extra Flash memory although my gut instinct is to compensate for write wearing problems. A two-fold increase to offset NAND that had just one too many write operations seems like quite a lot compared to consumer drives. That said, SSDs do not have to weather half of their whole capacity being written to each time the computer shuts down.

At $280 the 32GB kit of DDR3-2400 RAM from G.Skill costs more than an SSD but if you consider what you would have paid for 4GB of DDR3 when it first hit the market you can't argue that the price of a kit like this has fallen drastically. The timings are not even particularly loose for DIMMs of this speed, 10-12-12-31 @ 2T is not too shabby, though Neoseeker didn't have much luck tightening them as they couldn't get to the fully rated speed of the DIMMs due to their motherboard not being able to support that speed. Keep note of that, many motherboards simply do not have 2400MHz as a choice in the BIOS and many CPUs won't be able to keep these DIMMs fully active. You could always opt for using a goodly chunk of the memory as a RAM drive, no matter what speed your BIOS supports. Check the full review here.

"Today I will be looking at G. Skill's Trident X DDR3 2400MHz 32GB quad channel memory kit. With their goal of extreme overclocking performance, G. Skill uses the highest quality memory IC's available when manufacturing their memory. To ensure trouble-free operation, their memory undergoes rigorous testing to verify their craftsmanship and performance."